It's Watermelon Day again! Teachers fling their ties over their shoulders as they cut super-red, sweet and juicy 八色スイカ Yairo watermelons (local produce) for students during lunchtime.

Students do a double-take when they see me scurrying around with trays of freshly cut watermelon. "Still here?", they asked me. I dodge the well-aimed watermelon seeds that some mischievous guy students spit at my feet. Why should TEACHERS be the ones cutting and serving?

Tonight's farewell party was with the English beginners' class that I taught at the town hall. Very formally-structured. The organiser of the party gave a speech, then I had to give a little speech and finally, each student proceeded to serenade me with a sweet, carefully-prepared but awkwardly-worded thank you speech. There were 13 students in all. It is wrong to have the starving guest-of-honour start eating half an hour later than everyone else because of all the individual speeches!!

Kame and Michiko. Very sweet and caring. Both ladies grew quite close during the course and would go mountain-climbing together.

Sasa and Kiyoko.

Johnny & Kanai-san. Johnny is the class clown. Once dropped his car keys when he took his handkerchief out to wipe his forehead while mountain climbing. Discovered that his car keys were missing only after climbing back down...so he climbed to mountain again to look for them, but couldn't find them so had to pay 15,000-yen to get the car lock changed.

Kumiko-san. Very earnest. Drives 20 mins to get to class.

Nat-chan. Funny lady.

Inamura-san. 75 years old, has been learning English for 3 years, speaks too quickly and likes to use big words that confuse other students.

Kuwabara-san, the city office course coordinator